Avatar Kida: Book 1
by Betweenthelines752
Summary: Kida Anachak-Hur is elected by the Northern Water Tribe council for a mission into the Fire Nation to assassinate the royal family. She, however, is transported to a whole new realm by the Tesseract and joins the Avengers in retrieving it from the God of Mischief: Loki.
1. Preamble

Ladies, Gentlemen, young, and old

This may seem quite old fashioned-doing a preamble before the story begins, but I think it helps to have one just so I can lay the blueprint of what this story will be about. As a reminder, this story is entirely fiction. In a nutshell, it's the story of the birth of freedom-the story of Avatar Kida.

The theme of this story is whether man should be ruled by faith or whether they are to be ruled by the whims of a dictator-like Firelord Ozai; are men the property of the state or are they free souls? This battle continues to be fought in our world today so many of the scenarios I wrote into the story may seem familiar to you.

The story will be told in the span of 4 books and there will be an "intermission" where I will answer questions and discuss events that took place from book 1 to the end of book 3. The intermission is entirely voluntary and I will remind you of the "intermission" as you draw closer to that point.

Thank you for your attention and enjoy

**Betweenthelines752**


	2. Chapter I

It hit again and she forgot propriety altogether. "Unnghh!" she grunted, determined not to scream. This resolution soon went out the window when another contraction swept over the young woman who laid in a sea of pillows made of yak hair on the floor of the bedroom; her anorak has long been discarded leaving her in a long, blue dress made of wool. One of midwives laid beside her whispering soothing words into her ear and ran a damp cloth over her face from the perspiration despite the fact that they were all in an igloo. It was a fairly large establishment built on top of a hill, isolated from other residences. The door was made of wood imported from the upper Earth Kingdom and as soon as you walk in you are met with a common area to the left decorated with handmade pillows and warm fur blankets. To you right, there were multiple vases-some with flowers while others were empty, but all of them were painted with images of animals or scenes of everyday life. There was also a small room set aside for food preparation, which would be of much use that day. From there you would travel down a long corridor with walls adorned with lovely mosaics of dolphins leaping out of the watery depths of the ocean and colorful fish swimming beneath the surface, living out their days in the 'other world' as people called it. At the end, it would branch off on one side to the bedrooms and on the other would lead to the dining area. Nonetheless, the igloo was still very modest, but offered the family more living space in comparison to other Northern Water Tribe homes.

Sitting outside were the men, all dressed in their blue and heavy anoraks and seal skin boots; some were bloody since they had just returned from a hunt, however one man didn't mind the messiness of his appearance. His second child was to be born today. Judah Anachak-Hur stood from where he sat for the 100th time in the course of what felt like minutes to him, but it was in reality a couple of hours; yesterday he had bid his mother goodbye as he lit her dead body on fire on top of the mountain that loomed over the great nation of the Northern Water Tribe. 2 years prior though, his son was born and well before that the family patriarch had passed on. Judah's life seemed to take on the pattern of auspicious events and then was followed by melancholic ones ever since the family tragedy twenty years ago. It was now all quite normal to him. Looking towards his large, frozen dwelling where he could faintly hear his wife cry out in pain, he let out a sigh in anticipation when an arm slung over his shoulder from behind him, circling him into an embrace. "Judah, she will be fine. Rahab is a strong woman." "I know, Sitka, but that does not stop me from worrying about her and may I ask why you gathered all the other hunters here?" The man known as Sitka rose a dark, thick eyebrow at this. "For support, of course. The house of Hur rests its hope in you now that your parents are gone. The more people who witness the birth of your child the better… or did you forget that?" Judah nods in his recollection of tribal custom while looking at the snow-covered ground. "You are right. They were there to acknowledge Shem when he was born. This child, thankfully, has been spared their scrutiny." Sitka chuckles a bit at his long-time friend's jab at his late parents and Judah smiles in return.

Judah's unruly, shoulder-length black hair-a rarity among the Water Tribe population- blew slightly in the arctic wind and a grin formed on his lips as he watched his two-year-old son kick at some of the other hunters' ankles playfully. One of them had had enough and grabbed him by the leg and sauntered over to where Judah now stood. Rahab's distant yelling was now slightly masked by the child's hysterical laughter; he hung upside-down while the much older man looked to Judah with a hint of amusement in his eyes and said in an even voice, "I believe this belongs to you." "Thank you, Hrithik. You know that I have always been one for gifts." Judah said playfully while smirking as he outstretched his arms accepting his "gift". Flipping him over, Judah's son was passed on to him, despite him reeking of animal's blood, and he didn't wait long to subject him to a tickle attack. The little boy squirmed in glee as his father's rough hands roamed all around his stomach mercilessly. His two friends looked at the scene of father and son bonding and felt happy for him; his son served as the perfect distraction from Judah's mind wandering back to his pregnant wife. "My little hunter," Judah breathed out in wonder, his light blue eyes gazing down at his son who curled into a ball in his lap. "Even as your mother's scream quakes the earth you still find time to cause mischief."

The bedroom shared by her and her husband was so warm that it almost seemed to slowly melt because of the torpid heat that was conjured by Rahab's laboring in trying to birth her second child. She screwed her eyes shut upon seeing this while reciting prayers to the ocean and moon spirits. _When will it end?_ Rahab only opened them when she felt a gentle hand rub her bare thigh and pushed her dress further up for better access, a signal to push once again. Her tan fingers clung to the blanket beneath her in a vice grip as she screamed until her lungs burned. "I cannot do this!" She cried to the lady in between her legs after the contraction disbanded. It was as if she had never given birth to a child at all and the world would come crashing down on her. Ignoring her plea, the midwife crouched beneath her dress then looked up at her and said, "You need to keep pushing, miss. I know you are tired, but the end is near. I can see the head." As if it were some sort of motivation, the white-haired woman's eyes sparked with a sliver of determination and nodded weakly when a contraction hit her and the midwife yelled for her to push. Rahab did, screaming until her lungs felt like they would burst when suddenly the air was filled with a noise: the cries of a baby.

One of the midwives rushed outside, calling upon Judah to see the newborn and he wasted no time in sprinting through the doorway of his igloo, of course not before handing his now sleeping son to Sitka. Inside, his cerulean eyes watched in awe as his wife laid calmly while stroking the bundle in her arms tenderly. Judah walked ever so slowly, not wanting to disturb her first moments with the child, but her blue-green eyes flickered to his and she beckoned him closer. Stooping to her level, he opened his arms to her for the baby, but she hesitated for a moment and Judah eyed her, confused. "I have done my duty. Now you must do yours." With much exhaustion, as seen by her husband, Rahab handed the bundle to him gently and turned her head to rest. The man leaned towards her, kissing her forehead lightly and stood up straight again and turned to walk out. Moving the clothe to look at the child's face, the man couldn't take his eyes off it and with excitement ran to the exit and shouted "I have a daughter! I have a daughter!" All the hunters cheered and clapped and while they did, Judah whispered down at her and breathed her name into the wind as it journeyed into the sky to meet the ears of the spirits that they believed surrounded them.

And so all seemed right again for Judah and his wife as a daughter was born into the house of Anachak-Hur; joy was brought into their lives, but soon all of it was to be swept away for the child's destiny had been written into the book of life-one she cannot escape.

* * *

"Kida," A voice called before repeating the name again, but this time there was an answer and the young man left without another thought. It was all just another cold day in the great water tribe nation, located in the North Pole and heavily fortified from any assaults from an enemy. The young woman swung her long legs from under the many coverings that were draped over her form in her bedroom and dressed to get ready to go outside and fetch water from the well. Kida made her way out of the large igloo, her long, white hair swished from side to side and as her gloved hands held a large, clay pitcher at her hip. Using her waterbending, the water coagulated into a long stream and with a soft wave of her hand, the water entered the container with little issue. Setting the pitcher by the entrance to the igloo, she cracked the door slightly to see if, her older brother, Shem, was close by. When he wasn't, Kida traveled down the hill to Yada Midrash's home, a friend of the family. She stopped just before pushing the door that was left ajar and took a whiff of the air that was filled with the delicious scent of squid and seaweed and smiled; Yada's house was like most lodgings water tribe citizens had in that it was built for just enough people to get by. It had a rounded top with a hole for smoke from the ginormous pot to be released into the open air. To the left of the entrance was a food preparation room and then there was a vast space where the family would gather and eat together with many ceremonial masks looking onward from the walls surrounding them. Lastly, Yada's family slept in a single room to the far-right corner which also had a pool for bathing. To relieve oneself, you would have to travel behind the igloo. Although Kida was born into privilege, she remembers all the sleepovers she had with Yada's children and actually preferred staying at their house than being in her own! The young water tribe woman smiled to herself at the memories.

"Good morning Yada. Something smells good." At this, the middle-aged woman smiled knowingly and bowed quickly before saying in a soft voice, "I have been making this dish since I was a young girl. There is nothing special about it." Yada never ceased to amaze Kida at how well she aged with very few wrinkles on her brown skin and traces of grey hairs in her light brown hair. Even her deep blue eyes continued to sparkle every time she saw her. Sitting down on a pillow a few feet away from the simmering pot, Kida crossed her legs and shook her head. "It is special because it is made with love. You truly have a gift." Steam rose from a stone pot as Yada continued to stir the soup with a long, wooden ladle before dipping it deeper into the liquid and poured it into a clay bowl then set it on the dark wooden table laid at Kida's foot. "I only know the way to people's stomachs. Enjoy, my dear and be sure to leave some for your brother." Kida slurped happily, tipping the bowl to her head and swallowed the broth as well as some pieces of squid before answering wittingly "No promises." Yada's sapphire eyes gave her a chiding look and Kida answered by smiling into her bowl before sipping again at her soup. "He is not aware that I am here and I prefer to keep it that way." Sipping on her own broth, Yada sympathized with Shem even though she was sure Kida didn't mean what she said. "Your brother just wants to keep an eye on you-as all brothers do." Drinking the last of the soup, the young woman stands and moves to leave, not wanting to stay too long so that the man himself walks in, "And he has done a _marvelous_ job at that." Yada shakes her head smiling and the door is pulled shut.

"Apparently there is a war meeting this afternoon and we are needed to attend," Shem began authoritatively as Kida sat the pitcher down on a table in the dining area. "So you had better wash up and get yourself over to the council **on time**." He was wearing nothing but his dark, blue tunic with short sleeves showing off his large biceps and it was tied with a leather belt- a style most typical of him. The outfit was paired with handmade seal skin boots that went to his knees and wool breeches lined with fur. It was considerably warmer inside the igloo than outside, but it was still quite chilly and Kida's brother didn't seem to mind, a trait he must have picked up from their father, but if there is one thing that did bother him it is tardiness; Shem is a stickler for punctuality and has tried to have his younger sister become the same. That miracle has yet to happen. Unlike Kida, he was not born a bender so he took it upon himself to join the army and the high council, a law-making body run by the chieftain, like their father.

The family of Anachak-Hur is one of the few remaining aristocratic families of the Northern Water Tribe and it was made a tradition by the male members before Shem to join the army and serve in the high council. Among the other traditions are its origins, the cornerstone of their fame and their wealth; the clan Shem and Kida belong to claimed lineage to Avatar Kuruk, but it was well known among the family members that the actual founder of the dynasty was a clandestine waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe. For years the family profited from dues that were charged to pilgrims who visited the ashes of Avatar Kuruk guarded by the nation's shamans, a day's walk from the city, then the whaling business erupted and it made them more money in one year than all the pilgrims who visited the deceased avatar's shrine in five.

"And I'd advise you to hurry if you want any of Yada's soup for breakfast because… I will definitely eat your share." Shem continued on after tying his straight, black hair into a quick ponytail and sat on one of the many pillows; he tore a piece of polar bear dog jerky from a bowl his sister had put on the table then, as if it meant nothing to him, threw the leftovers back into the frigid, clay bowl. Kida rolled her eyes as she scrapped clean the wide, empty pot for tonight's dinner and glanced at him from behind her as he chewed with his mouth open to no doubt annoy her. "That would be almost near impossible if I had already had some." Smirking when she heard silence, Kida knew that Shem did not expect her to say that and turned around to see his expression. A large tan hand played with the hairs on his chin as he glared at her much to Kida's amusement and when he opened his mouth, she had a feeling he would fire back with a sarcastic remark such as 'you snuck out without me again' or 'it is nice to know that you had some without me' but he didn't. "Whatever, just be at the meeting please? It starts two hours from now and no. running. off." With that he pulled his dark blue anorak over his head, stood and left down the hallway.

After Shem's early departure, it was still early in the morning, giving Kida the opportunity to go canoeing- one of her favorite pastimes. She bathed and washed her hair and dressed again, now wearing more purple than an hour before and this time wore breeches instead of a dress. The young woman then made her way down the hill in which her ancestral home was built towards the canal. Each household was given one canoe, however if you could afford it, you could own multiple; Kida sighed as she saw that Shem had taken their best canoe leaving her with another that displayed a growing split to the front. It can be described as anything but safe, yet she desperately wanted to leave the igloo and so without a second thought, she transferred herself into the canoe and paddled towards the city entrance.

Kida could never get over how beautiful the city was despite it being completely erected in ice. Giant ice cliffs loom over the nation, leaving it snug between the crevice. The many bridges that were built over the waterways were almost always heavily decorated with shapes, symbols, and most of all: animals. The city itself is huge, housing more than 200,000 citizens-most of which have ancestry from the Southern Water Tribe. Before the Hundred-Year War, the Northern Water Tribe was a major port city for villages located on the coastline of the Earth Kingdom, but since the Fire Nation's last attempt at laying siege to the city a couple of years ago the high council ruled that a wall be built; this is what fear has done to the people of the Water Tribe and thus the wall still stands.

The magnificent wall of the city comes into view, its shadow completely encompassing Kida's figure and canoe. A portion of the icy wall is lowered, allowing for a gigantic, rectangle exit to be made. "Halt," a gruff voice said from above her and she tilted her head up to see a man with grey hair standing right above the exit along with other soldiers. "Peace be with you." Kida says calmly, offering the man a warm smile. "And to you. Where are you going?" Another man who stood next to him with long, brown hair decorated with beads made from whale bone and much younger, quipped into the man's direction. "Adin! You dare ask the avatar such a question? What she does is her business and none of ours. You may pass." Kida watched the exchange of the two carefully to make sure a confrontation didn't take place as the older man was not so gracious to the fact that someone who was his junior had disregarded his question to the avatar; his glare grew more and more intense, but the younger man didn't seem to mind as he waved to Kida and then ordered the canal workers to let her through.

Now more than half a mile from the city, Kida was surprised that they had not reminded her not to go too far as she paddled faster to pick up speed; from what Shem has told her, the search for the avatar has become the most lucrative business on the planet of Yunnan; rabble-rousers would sell false information to Fire Nation intelligence and then abscond with their money, knowing full well that their faces would be plastered on a 'wanted' poster in due time. If anyone outside their home found her out in the open and passed the news to the enemy, the consequences would be dire. Kida paddled left and right, rapidly moving past thick sheets of ice that glistened in the sunlight like large diamonds- "jewels of the North Pole" as they are sometimes referred to by the locals; she felt at home here-free, unbound, untamed in nature to anyone or anything. This is secretly where her heart lies. She lifts her oar for a moment and lets her canoe drift for a bit and she closes her aquamarine eyes. To any normal person, the only noise that could be heard was well…nothing. Only silence. But to Kida her ears heard the faint utters of those who now reside in the spirit world:

_Know who you areee… The world will burnnn… The land is soaked in blooddd… _

Before she can say anything however, the canoe shudders and on queue her eyes blink open. Kida whirls around to look behind her, quickly deducing that a small whale hadn't bumped into it. Then it can only be one other possibility: The Great current, which flows from the North Pole to South Pole bringing with it warm water from the Fire Nation to the Earth Kingdom and the Air temples; it was supposedly the most common trade route used by the first benders thousands of years ago and caused the spread of ideas, but in this moment, it could very well send her too far beyond the borders of her homeland. _Waterbending is out of the question here, _Kida thought; it is best not to test _Torngasak_ in redirecting the current. Her nerves were rising, however, she held her anxiety at bay in trying to wiggle her way out of this predicament. The canoe is now caught in the rapid current, pulling it swiftly toward a jumble of large icebergs which block the end of the narrow passage formed by the towering walls of ice. To widen the passageway, Kida uses her waterbending to push the floating chunks of ice away. The canoe moves through the water furiously as the young woman waves her hands through the frigid air in an attempt to keep up with the speed of the current. When one iceberg was flung across the water into another one, more of them seemed to swarm towards Kida. She manages to widen the passage some, steering clear of some of the icebergs, but when her canoe veers right with the current and becomes pinned by three large chunks of ice the twenty-year-old's heart sank. She had lost this battle and the canoe is completely crushed by ice. At the same time, Kida throws herself from the canoe and onto one of the floes, but before she could look back at the damage, a hard-cold object smacks the back of her head clothed by the hoodie of her blue anorak knocking Kida unconscious.


	3. Chapter II

Shaked's white glove floated away and will soon sink into the depths of the polar waters that surrounded her and she huffed. They were her favorite! And all her brother, Nir, could worry about was how tasty the Lamela fish was going to be when they returned home; the two sat in a canoe-Shaked on one side and her brother on the other. "You owe me new gloves, Nir." The young man had his back to his younger sister, but Shaked had a feeling that he was rolling his eyes into the back of his head at her statement. "Happiness is not one of your stronger qualities, is it? I caught dinner for a whole week! You will simply have to wait for father to go to the market in 2 days time."

Shaked's bushy eyebrows knit into a deep frown, her frustration evidently clear and in addition, her arms were folded. Peeking over his shoulder, Nir was sure that his little sister was going to throw another one of her tantrums and normally he would give in to his sister's foolish complaints, but he could not this time since he was due for night watch at sundown. Running a hand through his wavy, chestnut hair, the young water tribe man decided to tune her out with the hopes that she would give up on her lost glove by turning back around and in doing that his powdery blue eyes caught the sight of the remains of a canoe along with big pieces of walrus hide scattered across the surface of the ocean. "W…What happened here?" Shaked asked in a shaky voice putting her gloved hand to her mouth; Nir didn't know what to think. Many questions flashed in his young mind the most important being: _what if they found a dead body?_ Nir almost gagged at the thought of it. He had formally joined the army just last year and had never seen a corpse before. This would be his initiation.

Nir paddled the corner to turn and nearly jumped out of the canoe in fright. It was Shaked's rolled her eyes. _What did he see? A polar bear-dog?_ She steadily moved to her brother's end of the canoe, with the intention of mocking him even more, but her smirk faded when her eyes laid upon a body that was face down into the large slab of ice behind the iceberg. Shaked expected Nir to create a bridge for them so that they could rescue whomever it was that had the accident, but his body remained stiff as a piece of jerky. Her azure eyes darkened in anger. "Well, are you just going to sit there? We have to help him!" The siblings were oblivious to the fact that the person was indeed a female and _very_ much familiar to them.

Nir 's gloved hands waved in the air and water solidified into a bridge for the two of them to cross. Nearly shoving her wimpy brother out of the way, Shaked quickly made her way over to the person's long form and gasped when she saw a small blood stain on the back of their hoodie. "He was probably robbed and the bandits destroyed his boat." Nir suggested quietly, running another hand through his shoulder length hair in his nervousness. Shaked turned the body over to set her eyes upon the unfortunate soul who suffered through this and was stunned. "You mean 'she'. It's Kida!"

The long, white traces of hair that peeped out of Kida's hoodie were unmistakable and as Shaked's hand softly brushed the hairs away to expose Kida's face, she steered returning to consciousness. "Why am I not surprised to see you out here?" Nir lowly said to himself, however when Shaked mouthed 'stop' to him and helped Kida stand upright he realized it would be best to appear more supportive. Kida pulled down her hood, fully exposing her white hair to the sunlight, and pressed her gloved hand to the back of her head wincing; some of the ice must have hit her after the canoe was demolished. "Were the two of you canoeing as well?" she asked and Shaked nodded lightly, but Nir was the one to verbally answer. "Oh yes. All we wanted was to enjoy an afternoon outing and then we saw a person in need that we _had _to assist." Shaked jabbed him on his side at his sarcasm, but Kida giggled, causing the trio to all share a chuckle. However, it was short-lived. "What would I do without the two of you as friends? And it is still morning, Nir, not the afternoon." And at this, Kida laughed again at his mistake. Nir looked to Shaked in confusion. _How long was she unconscious for?_ he thought.

Kida mirrored Nir's confused expression when his face remained as it was. _If… it is the afternoon, then that means… _"We need to return to the city immediately! Hurry!" Kida ran past her friends, who were still very much puzzled by her sudden need to leave, but followed nonetheless. "What troubles you, Kida? Is it something important?" Shaked inquired loudly as Nir stood in the back of the canoe, swaying his hands in a windmill formation; now was not the time to row and Nir was a well-versed waterbender to get them all back to their home. All Kida could reply with was a simple 'yes' as her mind lingered on her brother's definite meltdown for her unpunctuality to the council meeting.

* * *

Inside the council building, located on the other side of the city from the home of Anachak-Hur and that of their chieftain, Shem's silver eyes surveyed the crowd once more and sighed in anticipation. He didn't even know why he tried anymore with her; it seems that Kida only responds to him becoming absolutely livid! Then she will change her behavior for a brief time (just until his anger blows over) and as soon as she believes that he has forgotten everything, Kida retreats back to running off on all her wild adventures. "You cannot wake a person who pretends to be asleep." Said an even, baritone voice and without looking at the figure Shem knew was behind him, he replied bitterly. "And who says that?" "That was what I learned from my latest dream. People who seem to have been led…astray are still on the right path." The much older man who goes by Rav, knowing Shem very well, noticed how he periodically turned to look at the entrance to the council waiting for the special someone to arrive after three hours of waiting. "She will get here soon enough. Have faith." And with that he turned in his seat to speak to the man behind him. Not ten minutes later, a tall, slim figure parts the wool curtains and rushes in, catching the attention of all other attendees. "Speak of the devil. The spirits work in mysterious ways." Rav said again with a small smile and patted Shem's shoulder, who forced himself to answer in his anger. "They answered little too late I'm afraid."

Kida walked quickly using the walkway that split the room into two sides towards the tribe's chieftain, who sat with his legs crossed on a risen platform of ice; she tried to avert her gaze from the hard wedges of ice that bore into her person. The council was strictly populated with men-older men who spent half of their lives in the military and young men who answered the call in making efforts to remain free from Fire Nation tyranny. Accounting for one hundred of them, if Kida were any other ordinary woman, she would have been asked to leave because of the tribe's stringent rules on women. Kida's pace began to slow as the icy steps of the platform came into her line of vision along with the pleasant face of their chief: Sitka Pipraharakot. She kneeled at his feet and gave a low bow, giving the area in which he sat a light kiss. Sitka smiled warmly down at her.

"Peace be with you, Chief Sitka." "Peace be with you, _Matoskah. _I am glad you have come home safely." He couldn't have known where she had been three hours ago, but as Kida's aquamarine orbs stared back into Sitka's smiling lavender ones something told her that he had an inkling into what it could be. In a hurry to get away from the tribal leader's prying eyes, Kida arose and took her seat next to him on his left. Now, everyone had succeeded in arriving. Not wanting to look into the crowd for she knew she would catch the unwanted glower of her dear older brother, Kida did so anyway and Shem sent her a heated glare through his narrowed, stormy eyes. _His self-control is amazing this time_, _but I should not take his restraint so lightly. The sooner this council meeting can be adjourned, the better. _

The young woman continued to play with the ends of the braid that was thrown over her shoulder before Sitka nodded to the man sitting to his right to begin the meeting; of all the endless pool of friends her father seemed to have, only two were his closest companions: the current chief Sitka and Hrithik Ayutthaya-Nok, the speaker of the council. While Sitka had violet eyes (another eye color in fewness among citizens of the Water Tribe, both North and South) Hrithik possessed dark blue-almost black eyes with thick eyebrows hooding them. To add to his gloomy, but handsome features, a light half-moon scar curls from his left eyebrow down to his left eye. Both men could command any room and earn the respect they deserved, however Hrithik owed it especially to his physical attributes. "This war we have found ourselves in has been going on for nearly a century. Its results were the genocide of an entire nation, and the near decimation of our sister tribe," Hrithik began in his usual rough, orotund voice calling everyone's attention-including Kida's. "We have fought like no other men and I am proud to say we, as a tribe, have done well-" He was cut off by obstreperous cheers and sprightly whistles of joyfulness that severed through the cold, crisp air like a thousand knives cutting through skin, yet as he rose his hand in the air, the cheering ceased. "However, we need to fabricate our next mission before the Fire Nation sail to our city again bringing with them the tides of brutality and arduous bondage."

"And how do you suppose we attack? Resources for our warriors have dwindled as last winter's hunt was the worst this tribe has seen in decades. We cannot afford to send another large fleet to fight with the Earth Kingdom against the Fire Nation!" Someone shouted from the crowd. "We know," Hrithik allowed a small smile to form on his mouth, a rare gesture to see on the man. "The chieftain and I plan to send a small, inconspicuous group of trained men into the Fire Nation capital of Jaffa so we can sabotage their itineraries and incidentally: wipe out the royal family. In doing this, the country will be in disarray." Another elder stood and spoke, clinging his parka close to his body by the collar; the war was inscribed all over his face and his hair was white as snow. His dull blue eyes had seen much over the years and he had his doubts. "I am eighty-nine years old and few of us remember the last time the Fire Nation laid siege to our tribe fifty-seven years ago- our chief was only a babe when it happened. We claimed victory, however it came at great cost. The streets were doused with blood, homes were destroyed, and many wives became widows." He paused to look in Kida's direction and if she was correct, the elderly man was going to resume his speech by implicating her as a war criminal.

"Why send a group when this tribe houses the world's most prized possession? If she were not sheltered here like a child, the war would be over. It would be best to enlist one person for the job and I vote that it be the avatar!" The old man rose a scrawny arm into the air, his hand balled into a firm fist-as firm as his belief- and what followed proved deadly for any public gathering: a split. One side reverberated in agreement with the elder's proposal while the other side of the room, which mostly consisted of men like Rav who knew Kida and her family well, opposed the idea.

Kida glanced at Shem, whom in return looked at her quite uneasily and waited to see who else had something to say; these arguments, Kida noticed, have become increasingly frequent the last couple of meetings ever since the Fire Nation princess, Azula, conquered Earth Kingdom lands hundreds of miles south of Ba Sing Se-including Kyoshi island. Was it exasperation that their efforts in fighting back were fruitless or was it something else entirely that clearly involved her? "That is not an option," Hrithik's voice boomed over the crowd's voices. "Kida is not a fully realized avatar yet. Using her for this mission would be disastrous for us and for the world."

A man who appeared to be around Hrithik's age stood and boldly made his way to the front, not caring who he shoved in the process. As he walked the icy steps, he glanced hatefully at Kida, who quickly looked away, then he turned his attention towards Hrithik. "What is truly disastrous is how many men have died because of her! We do not care if she is a woman. All we want is for this war to end and have the men go home to their wives." "I care if she is a woman. If she fails, we all fall." Kida knew that voice anywhere: Hahn Onnoka, a water tribe warrior and a fierce nationalist. He and Kida were also betrothed from when they were seven years of age, however when it came time to tie the knot at the marrying age of sixteen, all of Kida's energy went into her training as the avatar and thus the marriage was called off. Hahn, still vehement that he could not call the avatar his lovely wife, would often rile the peace of almost every council meeting.

In her attempt to take her mind off of Hahn's damaging comment, Kida observed for the first time the pond behind her tremble because of the sudden eruption of sound; anarchy was normal in a council room, however when tussles take place the entire purpose of the meeting itself melts away. What began as a peaceful gathering flipped on its head into a little war in their own tribe. Sitka sat back in meditation while Shem and Hrithik struggled to rip men apart from killing one another. Kida was not sure what irritated her more: the fact that people saw her as a weapon or as a woman who should hardly have any business in the war at all. _The best way to solve this is through conversation, _she thought. _I will not let Hahn portray me as incompetent. _When the men saw Kida stand abruptly, the fighting tapered off, an involuntary response to her role in society and she said, "And why would it not be plausible for someone of the opposite gender to lead the mission, councilman Hahn?"At this inquiry, Sitka's eyes opened as if triggered by her voice. Hahn's "It is simple really. I do not believe you have the vigor or the blessings of the spirits. Yes, you are the avatar, but how can the title be bestowed upon you when one can earn it through deeds?" "What are you saying, Hahn?" Sitka asked slowly and fairly low, a tone in which Kida had never heard before from him; he was spontaneously awakened from his reflection and from then on, his eyes were glued to Hahn's form, waiting to see what he would say to _Matoskah_.

As he already stood in the front row, Hahn took a couple of deliberate steeps forward, with a smug smile on his face- ready to add more cracks into Kida's reputation. "What I mean to say, great leader, is that anyone that is in this room could be an avatar. As it is written in our nation's historical tablets, the avatar is, first and foremost, a peacemaker- one who does good work but is not paid for their services. Kida Anachak-Hur is only avatar in title alone." Shem continues to listen to the Onnoka man speak, fighting his tongue from saying something that would cost him not only what was left of his family's social standing, but his as well. Nevertheless, he had to somehow put an end to this debate his little sister found herself in before she walked into something she could not get out of; he worked too hard to keep opinions at bay on her staying within the walls of the Northern Water Tribe and he was not about to let Kida ruin it.

"_Excuse me_, Hahn," Shem began as he addressed the person who could have been his brother-in-law. "But who are you to tell us what the avatar should or should not be? My sister is anything you need her to be-whether it is a fighter, a shaman, or…a peacemaker." The young man scoffs in Shem's direction and mockingly extends his arm towards him. "You agree then that your sister is physically able to end the war?" "Physicality has no bearing on the matter. As Hrithik has said, Kida is not a fully realized avatar. She must master _all_ the four of the elements and then end the war." "So speaks the weak link." At this, the crowd laughed and Kida watched as her older brother's jaw clinched, making his taut cheeks more pronounced. Not appreciating Hahn attacking her brother, the avatar stepped down from the platform and stood before him. "What would you have me do, Hahn?" Being the same height, Hahn stared at her exceptionally, beautiful face and for a split second wondered why he tormented her so, but then his heart hardened again. "If you do walk with the spirits, then I challenge you to climb to the top of the black mountains." Kida gasped in astonishment as did everyone in the room. _Does Hahn realize what he has asked of me?_

Shem's blood boiled as he lunged towards Hahn only to be held back by Hrithik and other councilmen. "You bastard! First, you shame her before the council and now you sentence her to an early death!Have you no honor?" "It will not be an early death if she comes back alive. With your permission, Chief Sitka, I ask that we carry out the act immediately." Sitka, deeply troubled by the situation, wanted with all his heart to tell Hahn that he will _not_ endure his antics any longer, however it was enough that he already had a rich history with Kida and if he appeared biased, it could cost him his seat as chief. He glanced down sadly at Kida, who looked as if the wind had been knocked out of her, and then sighed. "You have my permission to go."

And so it was decided. The avatar would prove herself as the worthy spiritual leader of a world at war.


	4. Chapter III

Darkness began to fall over the land as night crept upon the cold North, but that did not stop the council members who gripped the long, white hairs of the polar bear-dogs that they rode to _hesapa_. An advantage to this whole ordeal was that they were not caught in a blizzard while in route. Unlike most places, the weather planned the day of most water tribe citizens and if there was a blizzard brewing, everyone's safety was first and foremost regardless of the circumstances. Frosty air swept through Kida's lungs and in her nervousness, it burned ever so faintly; she still could not believe that Hahn, the man for whom she had grown up with, would subject her to this type of cruelty. Kida was sure that it was spitefulness that drove him to do this, his heart still raw from when he held the engagement necklace in his hands five years ago yet could a person be so full of hate that they would continue to punish them for something that was simply out of their hands? While Kida struggled with the thought, she held onto Shem's waist tighter as they drew near to the place where she never thought she would find herself.

It is an unlikely place in the landscape; occupying itself in the middle of the frozen tundra, the black mountains are an island in the vastness of solid ice. It is a place where thunder resonates more than in any other place, so it is thought to be the home of the spirits. However useless it may seem to outsiders at first glance, it is rich-full of wildlife, secrecy, and wonder. When people encounter this extreme place, you are not only tested physically but also spiritually. Furthermore, prospective chiefs-although succession is hereditary-must go through a series of trials and climbing to the top of these mountains was one of them. Are you making the correct choices in life? Have you caused pain to your neighbors? And have you respected the land given to you? All of these questions and more will be judged by the spirits themselves. Will the avatar succeed?

"You know what you must do," Shem began quietly, but loud enough for his sister to hear as they both dismounted the furry white creature and when he didn't hear her answer, he rounded the corner and added sternly, "Right?" Since Shem was the man of the house now, according to Water Tribe law, Kida was bound to honor his wishes-avatar or not. Nevertheless, her heart told her that she needed to do something; she has stood aside and let her older brother steer her life after she returned from her training with the shamans, trusting in his judgments. Now that she has heard the unremitting cries of the council, she can follow him no longer.

Hahn fed his companion some small, dried berries harvested from the previous year and rubbed its snout, comforting it while it ate then cast his eyes to his right upon the avatar and her piss-poor excuse of a brother. "Whatever your plan is, I hope you proceed with caution." Feeding the greedy animal the rest of the berries, Hahn smirked and turned to face the tribe's chief, whose mauve eyes stared at him carefully. "Caution is all I can afford…_great leader._" Sitka nods as if he said the right answer and walked closer to Hahn, "You are a young man, Hahn-bright and spirited," "Yes, sir. I would like to think I am." "Good. Then you are intelligent enough to know that if Kida dies, her blood will be on _your_ hands and the council will not stand for it." Hahn blinked, unaffected by Sitka's revelation, and replied with a stony expression, "_If _she dies." And then he walked off towards where the rest of the council members assembled, leaving Sitka standing in the snow.

Kida walked ahead of Shem as the two came to the very foot of the mountains and she tilted her head to watch the opaque cloud that has hovered over _hesapa _since the Water Tribes severed ties with one another, an event far from recent memory. _I wonder what waits for me there once I reach the top-__**If**__ I reach there_. As she finished plaiting her thick, white hair into a long braid, Kida stuck extra fur that Hrithik had given her into the sides of her seal skin boots as insulation against the subzero temperatures; she was the best waterbender in the great Water Tribe nation, however who knows how long she will be out in the open, exposed to the harsh elements. Still in contemplation, she was drawn from her thoughts as Sitka brought the council members to a silence as a long, whistle rang out from the rocks on the mountain before them. It was the cry of the tribe's most sacred animal: the wolf.

When one began, others followed and the crisp wind was immersed with songs of the night. Shem, although he respected the animal, gulped in fear and his silver eyes seemed to sparkle as they met the shine of the moon. _Tui, _he thought in desperation, _pity me. _He was strong enough to hold back his tears for the unfortunate situation he partially had a hand in shaping for his only sister and he went next her and clutched her long palms in his, rubbing them together to create heat through the fabric of her gloves. Kida smiled at the age-old gesture, knowing he was nervous for her and reciprocated it then walked off closer to the grey rocks. This would not be an easy climb since night was fast approaching, but in exchanging one final glance at Shem and then Sitka, who was now beside him, the young woman rose one leg to step onto a piece of rock that protruded out and began her long trek to the summit.

The rocky structure was difficult, Kida could say that much; it was no wonder few people ventured here. It had been an hour already and as she turned to look down below her, flat ground could still be seen but if she were to give up now, the fall would surely kill her. The exact height of the Black Mountains was never precisely calculated since the tribe's mathematicians feared the great spiritual charge that it exuded and refused to explore it. They did, though, give a rough estimate that its elevation was well above one thousand units. Kida only ascended a quarter of that. Down below the air remained relatively still, but as Kida continued to climb further up wind speed picked up considerably-almost miraculously adding another obstacle besides finding safe places to place her feet and hands; her own hair became an obstruction as her braid loosened and finally came undone now whipping around ferociously. It veiled her vision because of the great gusts of wind that rocked her from side to side. Her right arm muscles fought to hold on, but when one blast of wind clashed into her from the left, she found herself _falling_.

"_Tse, _I need your opinion on something." Shem heard Hrithik call out from behind him as the man sat with the other councilmen around a small fire and he gave a small nod in acknowledgment. He never left the edge of the mountains-even after an hour, deciding that he would be the first one to greet her once she came down defeated by the forbidden mountain. As he motioned to turn around, a loud yelp echoed throughout the vicinity and at this everyone's ears perked-including Shem's. He remained where he was as his eyes eagerly scanned the sharp slopes of the mountains until he saw a figure, dangling from the edge of a rock. She was a couple of units up, but Shem could still manage to see Kida's signature white hair cloaked by the blackness of the torpid cloud above them.

He watched with a painful expression as she constantly failed to pull herself up, her arms bending then straightening back into a hanging position. Finally, having enough of it all, Shem through off the outermost layer of his parka and ripped off some of its fur for insulation. He was going after her. Hrithik and Sitka both saw him but, it was Hrithik who reacted first to the young man's actions that were driven by emotion and jogged over while bellowing out, "Stop, Shem!" Bending down, the man from the house of Hur ignored him and pushed more fur into his boots then a large hand came to his back. "_Tse,_" Shem then stopped what he was doing, but did not stand up straight and Hrithik thought he might verbally lash out at him like he usually does to people who got in his way. When he did not and finally stood tall, breathing to stay calm Hrithik placed both hands on his shoulders and brought Shem back to reality. "You cannot go up there. You know that. If she falls," The much older man paused to look up to where the avatar still swayed in the unforgiving wind and then flickered his attention back to the girl's brother. "Then it is _over._" Blunt, but true. Shem said nothing but seemingly admire the beads that decorated Hrithik's goatee and walked off to the fire pit.

* * *

Kida did not know how long she could hang here; her face began to become numb from the squalls of wind and ice, weighing down her strength. _I cannot give up_. She tried to assess the surrounding areas-places that appeared stable and were not laid with a thin layer of ice and when there were none that she could see, the young woman closed her eyes in disappointment. "Tui…Help...me." Kida whispered slowly, feeling herself drift off. Moments later, a long howl pierced the wind from above her and when Kida slightly rose her head to see what had come to end her misery, her blue-green eyes enlarged at the sight: a white wolf. It appeared to be male since there were no cubs in sight; it crouched over the ledge of a cave to the left above her and stared at her. Captivatingly beautiful, the white wolf possessed red, shimmering eyes and the two gazed at one another for a long moment; Kida couldn't look away for the life of her as if…it bewitched her. Finally, the creature got up abruptly, breaking the eerie connection made between the two, and her eyes followed its line of vision to some rocks to her far right. _What does it plan to do?_ It looked back at her again and then leaped to one of the rocks. Kida looked away instinctively in horror that it might fall, yet when she did not hear the sickening sound of a body meeting the force of solid rock her eyes peered over nervously.

The male wolf gazed at her once more from rocks made into ledges large enough to stand on. Kida could not believe it. If she were able to rub her eyes, she would have. _Were those rocks always there? How is this possible? _The wild dog whined softly and Kida wondered if it wanted something from her, but when she looked away for a split second the wolf was gone as if it was never there at all. Slightly frustrated now, the avatar readjusted her grip and thought long and hard about what just happened. _This happened for a reason, but why? I felt something whenever our eyes met as if it were familiar- as if it were speaking to me. _Kida scrunched her eyes shut, forcing herself to pick up the underlying meaning. And then it dawned on her. "I understand now." She said to herself, her voice lost in the wind. Finding a spur of sudden strength, she swung herself and jumped, seemingly flying through the air as she did, and made it to the ledge next to her, just as the wolf did. Pulling herself up, she grinned with only happiness now. _It required a leap of faith. Literally! And yet few people realize this when they encounter hesapa. That is why only a handful prosper. _Still excited from her sudden epiphany, the avatar closed her eyes and leapt to the next rock on the right, continuing her way up the mountain.

It had now come upon 3 hours since they arrived and Kida still had not returned. Shem feared the worst with Hrithik's words in the forefront of his mind. He wanted Kida to fail, but it very well might have cost her own life; would he be able to recognize her crushed body on the rocks? He huddled his knees closer to his chest, traces of his black hair tickling his wrists and then he buried his face beneath his folded arms. If Shem's soul was in turmoil, Hahn's was bursting with glee as he laughed at another folklore story told by one of the councilmen. "And what happened next? What did the man say?" He asked, his chest still shaking from laughter. "He said 'I am only a beggar. Who am I to steal from the poor?'" Hahn rolled onto his back in merriment, never noticing the shadow that came over him. Everyone else sat still, baffled by the person who stood before them. Hahn laughed more and more completely unaware of the silence until he arose. _Why the sudden hush? It was funny! _Frowning, the man's blue eyes met Hrithik's and for a man so stern, he too looked very much like he had seen a ghost. Hahn did himself a favor and turned around. Standing tall and proud was the avatar herself; her clothes were dirty (as to be expected), her eyes alert, however she was mentally drained. Crouching to Hahn's level, Kida calmly placed a skinny, black feather in front of his stunned face. "I found this at the apex. Handle it with care." Hahn appeared to be too shocked to say anything, however within the deep corners of his mind he smiled malevolently at her triumph. _Now she will surely be sent out into the world to die. _Stumbling, Kida made her way sluggishly to Shem, who wept. "Thank the spirits!" He yelled as he wrapped his sister in a crushing hug, not hearing what she said to Hahn. Kida hugged back weakly, but smiled nonetheless at his response. Chief Sitka stood up gleefully and announced to the councilmen, "Let us reconvene back in the city!"


	5. Chapter IV

Kida wanted to laugh at how pleased her brother was even if it was for the wrong reason. The siblings walked through the council hall following behind the rest of the horde of councilmen back into the main room and the only emotion that ran through Kida's body was nervousness; she had done exactly what her brother said not to do, but then she remembered why she had done it, taking a breath and exhaled slowly. _Do not doubt yourself. The world needs you and sitting behind a wall for moral support defeats that purpose._ Nonetheless, her uneasiness remained even when she hid her smile at the joyful bounce in Shem's step as they parted the wool curtains into the large, meeting room.

"You all know what you have witnessed today. If it is not a miracle then let it be one," Sitka began to speak as he stood at the bottom of the platform, his lavender eyes roaming over the crowd. The room was so silent the only sound that could be heard was the occasional whisper of the wind that came from the east side through the left balcony overlooking the sleeping city. "This night is unlike any other, brothers, for the spirits have judged Kida Anachak-Hur _worthy_ as the avatar. Now that you have had your answer, the decision that you make today is critical to that of our city and our culture. For some of us, all we have known is war; since I was a young man, my father, the late chief Arnook-" "May he rest in peace." The crowd said in unison, as was custom. "As he lay dying, he told me never to relinquish our homeland for it is laid with the ashes of our ancestors. I pressed my father's hand and told him I would protect it with my life. Ever since then, I carried a weapon."

Kida eyed their chief's back carefully from where she sat with Hrithik, her fingers twitching slightly in her fretfulness. Then her blue-green eyes looked upon the clasp that held Sitka's greying, brown hair together and her eyes softened; the clasp, she guessed, was made of whale bone and the design depicted a scene of Avatar Kuruk and his lover, Ummi; they sat next to each other and he held s snow bell out to her and Ummi turns her face away, probably flushing at the romantic gesture. It was a welcomed distraction for what was to come. "I ask that when you vote tonight to not vote with your biases or your hearts, but with conscience. Will you send a small, group of men into the belly of the dragon or an unrealized avatar? The choice is yours." Nodding in thanks for their attention, the chieftain makes his way back up the platform and prepared a slab of clay. Although the Northern Water Tribe has access to parchment, the people prefer the primitive way just as their ancestors have done before them. The clay used was originally dug up from the soil in the spirit oasis to enhance the spiritual bond, but during the time of Chief Arnook the oasis was deemed too sacred to be meddled with and the clay now comes from the upper Earth Kingdom.

Sitka shapes the clay into a long slab, lays it on a woven mat along with a long piece of walrus bone and then passes it to Hrithik so that he may cast his vote. Everyone, excluding Kida, had to vote first before the Chief as it symbolizes his servitude to the people. Hrithik's large chest expanded as he sighed looking down at the mat, but then he quickly did his job and marked his answer. The whole ordeal went by quick and when the mat finally came back to Chief Sitka, all one hundred men had voted. With the white bone in his large palm, he hesitated and cautiously looked to his left at Kida. He couldn't quite describe what her expression was and perhaps he willed himself not to dwell on it further, but he added his tally to the slab of clay. To finalize the verdict, he sealed it with his family ring on the bottom right.

Scanning the results, Sitka sometimes wished he were not chief since there were many decisions he disagreed with, but what could he do? He is a servant to his people and his needs were always secondary. Clearing his throat to read the results, he said "It is done. It has been decided that…" Kida squeezed her eyes shut for the coming answer-one she knew would devastate her brother, but bring relief to others; her heart threatened to explode as it beat vigorously against her chest. She knew what the verdict would be, but the suspense still affected her. _I can only imagine what Shem is feeling at this moment. _"It has been decided that the avatar, Kida Anachak-Hur, will carry out this mission for her country, for her people, and…for the world." Some men cheered and clapped, while others sat in silence at the results. One of those men was Shem himself; his gloved hands balled into hard fists in his lap, but he said nothing which Kida felt was far worse than an immediate reaction. This night, indeed, would be far different from other nights.

All Hahn could do was smirk at the decision for his clever plan had worked and he could not wait to see her brother's expression. _If he is still here. He could have slipped out of the building unseen. _Hahn wanted to laugh at the thought, but as everyone filed out of the main room to retire to their igloos, he saw Shem sitting on the ground almost idle. "The meeting is over, Shem. Come, let us drink to this wonderful occasion of your sister's election!" Shem knew exactly what Hahn was doing and it took everything in his being not to throw him over one of the balconies. It definitely delighted his imagination, however, he was sure Kida would berate him for it. Slowly standing up, Shem stood straight and he was proud to see that he was at least taller than the Onnoka man. "I must decline, Hahn, but thank you for your offer." Shrugging and surprised that Shem did not take the bait, Hahn parted the curtains and left.

Only four people were left behind: Sitka, Hrithik, Shem, and Kida. Now no one was there to hear their true feelings on what took place tonight. Shem was shocked most of all. _How could this have happened? She failed! Or did she? _He contemplated the thought where he stood until he impulsively marched right over to where his sister sat. "What did you do?" Looking up from her hands she calmly answered: "I climbed _hesapa._" "No, you did more than that. You climbed to the top, didn't you?" Standing up and making her way down the stairs, her long hair trailing behind her, Kida replied without looking. "Yes, I did." Normally she would explain herself no matter what the circumstances were, yet this situation was different and Kida just needed to get away from her brother, moving herself to a far corner.

Shem held the bridge of his nose in annoyance. The verbal statement alone made him want to yell. Just as he had feared, his younger sister went against his wishes and ultimately ruined his plans. Now, he had to fix this somehow and Chief Sitka would provide a solution. Marching out in the open air to their chief, who was placing the slab of clay in an oven on the western balcony to harden along with Hrithik, he demanded that the decision be overridden. "Have you been drinking honey wine? You know the law, Shem. What is done is done." Sitka said firmly to the young man that stood before him as he wiped his hands on a cloth that Hrithik handed to him. "And even if I could, it would cost me my seat as chief. Now, take your sister home and rest. She leaves at first light tomorrow." The two men took their leave back into the main room, but Shem followed behind them like a lost puppy. "I will give you all that my family owns for you to undo this." Upon hearing this proclamation from where she was, Kida cried out in disbelief, "Shem!" If bribery isn't the dirtiest act, then Kida felt that the world's morals were askew and her beloved brother was dabbling in that bucket of wickedness much to her chagrin.

Sitka was just as horrified as Kida was when he whipped around to look at Shem; he was the little boy that loved to play soldier with his father and rub fish blood into his sister's hair. He who was lovingly name _Tse _as a rock that was steadfast in both his actions and opinions was now attempting to bribe the man that helped to raise him and Kida after their father's untimely demise. Burying his disgust, Sitka continued to walk, but Hrithik did not. "How _dare_ you." Shem ignored him, which increased Hrithik's irritation at the disrespect that was conveyed to Sitka, and Shem quickly walked forward to block him from leaving. "If you valued my father's friendship at all you would not do this to us!" The very little wrinkles that Sitka displayed in his tanned face intensified at this young man's persistence. "Shem, you are like a son to me, but I do not appreciate that you would turn to something as low as this. I will not hear any more of this."

Kida stood relatively close to the men now since she felt that this argument would escalate into something that would blow out of proportion and she was right. Her brother was through trying to talk to the chief in every way he knew how even appealing to their close relationship, but that also failed miserably. Sitka didn't even see the fist coming in his direction until he felt knuckles collide into his jaw, causing him to lurch to the side. The warrior in Hrithik was brought to the surface as he springs into action and helps Kida pull Shem away from unleashing upon the chief hard blows to the stomach and upper arms. Grunting like a wild animal at Hrithik's strong arms around him, the twenty-two-year-old man struggled to release himself and yelled in frustration, "I will organize a protest myself! This will not stand, Sitka!"

The avatar led the tribal leader, who had a few scratches on his face, to sit on a pair of steps near a small room for prayer and when he briefly smiled at her kind gesture, she sped towards Hritihik and her ferocious brother as the two argued. Coming between them, Kida pressed her hands against Shem's chest to stop him from continuing his assault on Hrithik. Her aquamarine eyes looked straight into her brother's silvery grey ones, keeping his attention only on her, "Shem, please. I accept the mission. Whatever my fate, I have been held back long enough from doing something to end this war. Please…"

Shem felt as if he were drowning. Would Kida really undo everything that he had done for her and leave him behind as she carried out this dangerous mission? He choked at the thought, knowing that it was to become a reality. Backing up and shaking his head at his little sister's statement-clearly very disappointed-Shem Anachak-Hur ripped the curtains open and raced out of the building. In the process, he angrily knocks over a pot full of snow bells.

Kida's plea, she knew would go unanswered since Shem is very stubborn when it comes to notions he believes in. Because of this, she knows not to go after him. Yet, she has _never_ seen him this passionate about anything like this before. _Why is he so keen on keeping me here? _Pushing the question to the back of her mind, but not forgetting it, Kida turns her attention to Sitka, who now stood and held his arm from where Shem hit him. "His reaction is very familiar, but nonetheless understandable," Kida, reading between the chief's inference, says nothing, however she knows exactly _who_ he is referring to; the day she was taken away by the shamans to begin her training as the avatar is still fresh in her mind. She could recall her mother's weeps, but most of all she could vividly recall her father's shouting. Not wanting to replay the memory in its entirety, she blinked and the images disappeared from the forefront of her mind. "Your father was not always the brightest of men, but even he could not steer the path laid out for you."

Hrithik Ayutthaya-Nok detected Kida's conflicting feelings. Although he could not relate in terms of being the avatar, he did know what if felt like to be elected for a dangerous mission as he completed his first one when he was only sixteen. His mind wandered to Kida's childhood- in particular how amazing she was at handling animals. _She has always been a gentle spirit and this experience will most definitely shake her to the core. _He places a large hand on Kida's wide shoulders and says in an even, but stern tone. "I know this is the opposite of what you want to hear, but I personally could care less how Shem feels. This war needs to come to an end and you are the only being that is able to do it." The young woman exchanges glances between her father's childhood friends and still sensing her worries, Sitka's pained expression dissolved in order to cheer her up. "I initially thought this decision was ludicrous based on the elements you have mastered, yet there was some truth to the men's words. Do not worry, _Matoskah_. Hrithik and I believe in you and although he will not admit it himself- Shem believes in you too. The right decision was made. Go home, you leave at dawn." "That may be, but I also know I am hurting him in the process of doing so." Kida replied, unsure if she made the right decision. Bidding them goodnight, the avatar leaves the council building, alone.

* * *

Hrithik crosses his arms across his massive chest and sighs looking at the curtain where the children of the house of Hur fled through, "I grow too old for this. Not even my own son was this troublesome." Sitka scoffed, but allowed for a crooked smile to form on his lips, "It must seem that way to you, old friend, but you had a hand in shaping them too." The tribal chief walked across the massive room and made his way back to the other side towards the western balcony to check the status of the hunk of clay. Grabbing a stick, the man poked at it from the small furnace and blew on the fire underneath. While Sitka went about doing that, Hrithik collected any notes, proposals, and letters that were left by the messengers as he did after every council meeting; It was located in an elongated clay jar just beyond the grand, man-made waterfall that flowed into a small pool.

The night was still young as the sky was littered with balls of white light along with the full moon like a silver coin illuminating the earth. The hardened warrior's burly body was bathed in moonlight as he emerged from the back with papers in his hands. Most were reports from his comrades in the Earth Kingdom while others were letters regarding the limited trading the Northern Water Tribe participated in, but as Hrithik's dark blue eyes raked over the pieces of parchment his bushy eyebrows drew into a deep frown at one letter that was from Osman, the tribal astronomer. He did not frown because Osman wrote to their chief-that was hardly anything new; Hrithik was concerned because of the black and white paint that was brushed near the water tribe emblem-a sign of the letter's urgency. Hearing his friend's footsteps coming back up into the council room, he approached him and quickly placed the letter in his hands. "From Osman."

Sitka, also seeing the black and white paint, tore open the animal fat that sealed the letter and unfolded it with the same urgency as the letter's message. He scratched his trimmed beard in thought as he read the letter's content, his eyebrows steadily rose as he processed each word. "Oh Spirits…" "What is it, Sitka? What does he say?" After reading the unfortunate news, Sitka had to sit down somewhere and does so on the steps of the raised platform. _It could not return at a worse time. _Passing the letter to his childhood friend still in a daze, Hrithik almost snatched it from his grasp, anxious to know what has him speechless. After reading the first two sentences, he also sported a shocked expression and lowered the letter to face Sitka. "No…" Sitka nodded slowly and answered in a low, faraway tone, "Yes, if this is true, she will certainly fail." "Osman has never calculated incorrectly." Holding his head in his hands, Sitka murmurs with irritation "I am aware." Laying the letter next to the chief, Hrithik rubs his forehead at the sticky situation they found themselves in. "Will you tell her, or shall I?" Sitka shook his head, "I will tell her."

The air of the night seemed to drop in temperature at the terrible news the men received, the cold biting them right to through their heavy parkas; one man swore to never sell his country to the enemy while the other swore to die a warrior's death if it meant to protect it yet neither of them, as adult mentors to the avatar, could swear that she would be successful in this mission.


End file.
